


Young Wild Things

by VienneseDumplings



Series: People like Us [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dont know how to proper tag, F/M, First Dates, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:48:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28148607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VienneseDumplings/pseuds/VienneseDumplings
Summary: Ace goes on a first date with Yamato which descends into a chaotic goose chase with King in an orgy party.Things you do to date a yazkuka's daughter.
Relationships: Portgas D. Ace & Yamato, Portgas D. Ace/Yamato
Series: People like Us [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1922200
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	Young Wild Things

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VixenRose1996](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VixenRose1996/gifts).



> Inspired by VixenRose 1996's comment - btw sorry i dont know how to tag people and the only way to do it is through gifting and now I feel as obnoxious as Prince Charles when he gave his 'p r o f e s s i o n a l' watercolour to Lucian Freud. 
> 
> Based on an alternative universe from in my other fiction

Ace de Portgas, the dream of every Lothian girl aged from 16 to 35, the golden boy of the Royal College of Art, the twenty-something that is deemed to be something. Freckled nose, fringed lashes and dark foreign curls, he appeared in Yamato’s world like some star rider from _Equine Weekly_ , and he looks so much like her first crush, a Spanish rider featured in the 2000 Autumn Town & Country, that Yamato instantly knows he will most definitely steal her heart then shatter it into pieces. 

Where do they meet, you ask, and the answer is in a polo field. Yamato was the number three player for the RAU team (Royal Agriculture University, that is), and Ace was the guest photographer invited by the Oxton Union President, Sabo Spencer, to help take pictures of their legendary match ( The Oxbridge of Countryside versus the actual Ox). Ace was dreamy as always, with his white henley and pale beige pants, his skin honey-toned and his smile extra sweetened. He pointed his camera to Yamato as she was resting, and he grinned as soon as Yamato looked into the camera. 

" Nice shot." He mouthed. 

And just like that, Yamato melted. 

Of course, Yamato has heard of Ace de Portages before meeting him in person. Her roommate was obsessed with him and the general BNOCS, and she never quite shut up about that one time she met Ace in Putney and they shared a joint. 

“I followed him on Instagram but he did not follow back because he just never uses it. He is cool like that.’ Her roommate declared one night, ‘ oh by the way, do you mind not snore so loud tonight? I don’t know how to stop snoring, Yamato, I never snore - just try not to breathe.”

They met later that day, in an after match drink in a pub nearby, where everyone from RAU was drunk and everything descend into complete chaos as always. The Adonis approached her with a beer in his hand, and he complimented her on her polo skills and congrats her for mounting off Orcs Junior. 

“ I am Ace, by the way.” He said, voice lively without the self-entitlement that RAU or Oxton crowd tend to possess. 

“ Oh,” Yamato wiped the beer foam away from her mouth as she extended her hand. Kaido taught her one should always shake one's hand when she met someone new. “ Yamato.” 

He paused for a while — never quite expect to shake someone's hand in a pub, probably — but he nonetheless took it and gave her a firm handshake. He asked her which year she is in, and asked her how she finds RAU. It is weird, she said, but she likes polo enough to overlook the weirdness. 

“ Wow, you are ridiculously honest.” Ace laughed, and Yamato does not know what it means. 

For Yamato university is a peculiar place. After she has enrolled to equine science in RAU, one of those red bricks near the Onigashima estate, she finds it difficult to fit in. She refused advances from a senior during freshers week and was coined as a lesbian, and her coursemates tend to dislike her in socials but adore her skills in polo. She was invited to drinks of course, but she is often the one who carries drunk girls back to their dormitory rather than the one having fun. In fact, she has carried so many girls back to their dormitory that it only reinforces the rumour of her being lesbian. People were civil to her, but she never quite have any friends, very much like her homeschool life. 

Do you play polo, Yamato asked, trying to find a common topic with the greek god. 

“ No not really, a bit too posh for me. But I like riding.” Ace smiled then proceed to tell her a story about him riding in a dessert with some of his friends. It was in Alabaster, he said, and the funniest thing is the initially wanted to do desert racing there. 

“ Oh, I heard desert racing is much better than the normal ones because you never quite find your way. ” Yamato’s eyes lighted up, her heart cried for having something common with Ace. Her father, Kaido, loves racing, and Yamato was often dragged into his race car for ‘ balls training’ since she was merely seven. 

And Ace’s dark eyes lighted up as well, his smile grows wider and his demeanour seems to be more relaxed. They chatted more on the fun of riding and racing as they continue to exclude every drunken person around them, but their conversation is disturbed by a slightly tipsy Sabo, who has invited both of them to another person’s home for an after-party. 

Yamato declined politely, and Ace quickly asked her number before he was dragged away. 

“ I will text you.” He mouthed as he was walking away to the exit, and Yamato thought he was just being polite. 

But then, he texted (next day at 12 pm when Yamato was having a hangover breakfast), and Yamato screamed. 

They texted each other for a few days, with Ace using a lot of gifs and Yamato none (her usual texting partner, her dad, only uses thumbs up emoji), he asked whether she would like to grab dinner together in Lothiam in the coming Friday. He knows a good Italian with student discount, and it is rumoured that the Italian boss known as Bege might actually be a mobster. 

“ Sure thing - Yamato.” Yamato typed. She was taught to always address her name in text. 

“ It’s a date :D” He added, and Yamato screamed in the middle of her equine anatomy lecture, earning herself another title of being a ‘horse craze lesbo’.

They met that Friday in Puccini’s, an Italian bistro tucked right next to a Kanoian oriental buffet, packed with families in white linen or couples in pale beige. Ace arrived five minutes early in his signature white henley and burnt orange pants, and Yamato arrived ten minutes late in her RAU fleece and white jockey pants, clearly just rushed out of her practice. She was extra late because she ushered in the tinted Mercedes driven by Who’s who, and she made him drop her off in a street behind and force him to promise not to stay for the date. 

“ I got better things to do, princess.” Whos who replied mockingly. “ But your father might send others, and you know, those saddos don’t have nothing better to do on a Friday night.” 

“ Don't he fucking dare.” Yamato cursed as she slams the car door. 

Despite the initially awkward start, they bonded over each others’ food choices (no salad, just burrata followed by a large plate of carbonara and bolognese, chased with a larger portion of tiramisu), with Ace telling her about his life and Yamato guarded against hers. 

He was, as expected, a great storyteller. He told her, in an embarrassed laugh, that he was a wild child and terrible at school. He went to Kano on a whim to be trained as a sushi chef (he knows how to make a mean toro nigiri), but then he hopped on a boat to become a short term fisherman because he wants to make swordfish sushi. The fisherman he learned under turns out to be some legendary retired mobster from Lothiam named Edward Whitebeard, and it is from him that he heard of the great name of Puccini.

And the way that he gets into Royal College of Art is even more peculiar: during his fishing adventure he met an equally eccentric aristocrat who happened to own an island known as Mystique, and the Lord asked him to try to bartend in his island because his resort needs a bar. And so Ace just went to the island to become a bartender and build up his own name, charming the glittery clientele by day and sleep in a small carriage between the palm trees by night, his client ranges from Moriar’s Secret founder (Moriari Moon) to government officials and even princesses (including one legendary beauty known as Hiarhoshi). It is during one of the Lord’s wild party that he met Rosinate Donquixote, who has so kindly hired him as a personal assistant and wrote him a reference letter glorifying enough to gain him a scholarship in Royal College of Art.

“ You must be talented to impress many people,” Yamato remarked as she tries to gulp down a large forkful of pasta. 

“ Just lucky, I think.” He laughed softly, his manner candid and humble, and his musical tone suggests he is merely sharing for amusement rather than a stroke of ego. "What about you? Who is the mysterious silver-haired star player that wowed Oxton?” 

Yamato paused a while as she slurps down her spaghetti, her brain trying to figure what she should or should not say. 

For the past 24 years of her life, Yamato has been homeschooled and her education was mainly derived from Olympic athletes, professional killer, FBI-wanted weapon creator and Oxtonian tutor (that Kaido kidnapped to teach Yamato). She has travelled to elsewhere with her dad and stepmother, Black Maria, but she never quite leave the Onigashima estate, a thousand-acre Kanoian building that Kaido calls home. 

“ I was homeschooled until university, and I have been riding before I even know how to walk. That’s the only thing I truly enjoy.” Yamato confessed. She has a photo of Kaido carrying her at his back whilst riding, with her extending her chubby hands trying to catch the wind and smiling to the camera. She was only one back then, barely know how to crawl, and if one squint enough they can see the young Queen and King standing in the background, their expression slightly concerned about the newborn’s safety due to Kaido’s wild riding habit. 

“ Homeschooled! Wow, are your family professional riders?” Ace eyes lighted up, his tone suggests he was not deterred by Yamato’s abnormal education past. 

" Ahaha, no, far away from that.” Yamato laughed.

 _They are mafia, but I am never going to tell you that_. 

“ But my dad loves riding so he built — “ 

Just as she was going to continue the story of Kaido building a full range riding ring just because he saw Yamato watching _my little ponies_ , her eyes quickly caught something that flickered at the window behind Ace, her eyes squinted to try to focus at the darkened building with a dim light in the opposite street. Then she realised on the second floor of the opposite building sits King, still in his usual gimp mask and leather outfit, with a raven comedically standing on top of his head, his dark figure could have blended well with the gargoyles if it weren’t for the odd light in his rugby coloured eyes. 

“ Crap.” Yamato cursed as she bends down slightly to the table, her eyes looked away to avoid having any more eye contact with King. 

_So King is the person Who’s who was referring to, the person who has nothing better to do on a Friday nigh_ t. 

It is not the first time Kaido sent someone to monitor Yamato, of course — Jack was enrolled to RAU for discreet protection, and he fits in RAU so well that he became the gold defence for the rugby team and blended splendidly well with those muscular non-brainers — but it is the first time that Kaido sent anyone as heavyweight as King to monitor her. Rumoured to be an ex-mercenary, King is Hyajukuu’s silent killing machine and Yamato’s martial art trainer, and Yamato still remembers how he once bought her a barbie doll for her 7th birthday then proceeded to use it as ‘ Fatal point’ demonstration, regularly snapping the doll’s neck or limps to pieces to show the weakest link of human bodies. 

It might be a sadistic habit of him, but in King’s defence, he seems to be genuinely shocked when the maid told him the dolls are used to be play with rather than to be snapped. 

“ Huh, what?” Ace turned his head to follow her gaze, the pair of chestnut eyes trying to see what has grasped her attention. “ What’s behind.” 

“ No no, don’t look.” Yamato quickly grabbed his cheek with both of her hand to force him looking at her, and a dash of pink appeared on the freckled cheek briefly. “ But there is a leathered gimp man stalking us.” 

“ You can't possibly say that without making me wanting to look.” Ace laughed, seems not to be bothered by the matter at the slightest. “ Why can’t I look — is that your ex-lover or something?” 

“ The dating pool for homeschool is ridiculously small, Ace. So no, it's not my ex-lover.” Yamato replied matter of factly, and Ace chuckled again. “ It’s someone my dad sent to follow me. He is _really_ controlling and overly protective.” 

Ace blinked, then he proceeds to break into another wave of laughter 

“ I have never, in my life, heard of a dad sending a gimp to stalk his own daughter.” He said as he tries to wipe away the tears in his eyes. It is perhaps part of his charm: he has the ability to take things not too seriously and find fascination in everything. “ You are amusing, Yamato, has anyone ever told you that?” 

_If today is the peak of my life, then so be it good._

“ I am serious. He is going to force me to go back home after this.” She sighed as she gulped down the cup of water next to her. “ And I don’t want to go yet.” 

“ Then don’t go, we can escape.” Ace grinned with his eyes beamed up. 

“ There is no escape, he is King.” Yamato sighed a little. There is no escape when it comes to Kaido either, but it is a topic that is for much later.

“ There is always an escape,’ Ace dapped his lips with a checked table cloth, “ are you done?” 

“ Yes.” Yamato nodded. They have managed to lick their two plates of pasta clean and even devoured three baskets of bread. 

“ Then go.” Ace whispered, and without Yamato even realising, he simply grabbed her hand and walked swiftly between waiters and diners, his hand shoved a few notes in a waiter’s tray as he took the small espresso away and gulped it down. 

“ Sorry Bege, there is a code zero emergency.” Ace apologised as he put down the espresso cup in front of the cashier, and the cigar-chewing owner looked up from the stack of bills and he arched up against his eyebrows. 

“ I can never fucking remember what your code is about, Portages. Just stop getting into trouble.” He rolled his eyes as he glanced at Yamato. “ Pretty date, she is out of your league.” 

“ Oh,” Ace turned his back to face him as he pushed the kitchen door open. “ I know.” 

And with the chaos of waiter coming in and out, chief shouting at each other and them shouting their greetings to Ace, Yamato cannot quite digest what is happening. They then cut through the kitchen and ran across the back alley, and Yamato noticed that King has detected their movement with his large figure moved to the end of the roof, ready to jump out as soon as they walked to the main street. 

“ We better take a detour,” Yamato said as she nodded to the street opposite to them.

“ Oh wow, it really is a gimp man.” Ace raised his eyebrows with surprise. “ Can you run?” 

“ Yes.” She nodded. 

“ And is he an uptight person ?’ He asked. 

Yamato paused, thinking of that one time King was angry because someone slightly moved his document one inch away from his usual spot. 

“ Oh, definitely.” 

“ Then don’t ask, just follow.” Ace grinned.   
  


* * *

And just like that, they started running and climbing up and down across the street, with King’s surprisingly light footstep chasing them behind, Yamato not knowing where are they going and Ace grinning. They then turned into a dark tunnel on the downtown of Lothiam, where Yamato swear she spot a few mouses sneaking out just to stare at them curiously. The tunnel was pitch dark, but Ace seems to know his way well enough to navigate smoothly; and Yamato cannot help but look back occasionally, checking whether King has followed them into the dark. Then there is finally a faint light at the end, where a stodgy blonde woman was standing by the elevator, her head moved towards their direction as soon as she saw Ace. 

“ Tibany !” Ace waved his hand dramatically, his tone seems to be overly enjoyus for a situation like this. 

“ Ace, baby, good to see you — is he with you?” She asked. 

“ Yamato is with me — “ Ace said as he raised his hand, which was tightly holding onto Yamato's. 

“ No, not your girl.” she shouted back. “ That gimp few feet away.” 

And as soon as Tibany uttered those word, they quickly looked back, only to see King from behind, his movement fast and seems to try to catch onto them without making too rapid of anoise. They both squealed as they rushed into the elavator, with Yamato shaking her head and Ace shouting he is a pervert, their hands holding onto each other's tighter than before. And as soon as they rushed into elevator, Tibany quickly shut the elevator gate and winked to them, her hairy, incredibly strong arms blocked King from entering near. 

“ This is a private premise, gimp boy,” Tibany said as she pressed on the elevator, and even with the elevator going down, Yamato can hear the mutter of King’s complaining mumble. And with the elevator descending down, they cannot help but burst into laughter after the adrenaline shock, their hand finally loosened. 

“ Where are we?” Yamato asked as the elevator stopped. 

“ Oh well, it is a bit hard to explain, but I promise it is not too weird.” Ace said he opened the gate, and what Yamato first saw is a dark corridor with reflective walls and a projected oil paint in the middle, two lines of tall, muscular men dressed in Zentai suit were standing along the corridor, their pose changed periodically as if they were some living statue. And as they proceed to push through a velvet curtain, another world has emerged, where the dark, futuristic room has changed into a zone with tall ceilings, art deco themed bar, velvet sofa and bed with a sheer curtain. A DJ was blasting in the far end corner, some people were dancing, some were chatting, some were doing whilst others are watching. Ace walked in front of her as he extended his hand, his head turned to check on Yamato as if he knows she would be uncomfortable with a situation like this. 

“ Is it a sex club?” Yamato asked as her eyes widened in shock. 

“ NO, no, no,” Ace shocked his head nervously. “ it is a wave party, but with a lot of sex.”

“ So you took me to a sex party?’ Yamato raised her eyebrow, thinking following King is perhaps a much better idea. 

“ No no no, I know the way where we can escape from here. I will never bring a girl I like to a sex party.” Ace explained nervously, and his usual confidence seems to be displaced with a hint of clumsiness. “ I mean, oh my god what am I saying…” 

“ ACE BOY!” And just as Ace was trying to finish his sentence, a tall man with purple curly hair just came up out of nowhere, his muscular arm wrapped around Ace’s neck and his voice thundery. He gave both Ace and Yamato an extremely tight hug before he released him, his eyes, decorated in diamond drizzled lashes, glanced over Yamato before he gave an approving nod, declaring that Yamato is "magnificent". 

The man in front of them is, of course, “King of the clubs” Madame Ivankov, where he has snatched the legendary clubhouse Lou Lou away from the legacy Mr.Crocodile and build up _Madame Ivankov_ , with his party being legendary glamorous and debauchery (he once borrowed the elephant from the Lothiam Zoo just for a jungle party at his palace). 

Ever a party queen, Ivankov dragged them into a corner room decorated in red velvet (resembling the womb, one of the minion explain), as some of the workers put on glittery makeup on their cheekbone and serving them ‘special lollipop’ , they laughed and declaring s _pecial treatment for the special boy_ , as they busy brushes glitter on their noses tip.

“ Ace boy bartends here sometimes.” A drag queen with the name Splash said. “ He is young and handsome, but he is too short — he should learn more _Okama.”_

“ What is Okama?” Yamato mouthed to Ace, who was sucking on the lollipop as he looked at Yamato getting her glitter done.

“ I don't know.” He mouthed back, then they both laughed slightly. 

“ Ace boy, your date is perfection — beautiful beyond gender norm. WHERE DID YOU FIND HER!” Ivankov exclaimed as Yamato finished the heavy dosage of glittery makeup, “ Inzazuma is looking for some model for a non-binary clothing line commercial, I will tell her I find her the perfect one.” 

Yamato blushed, and Ace only looked at Yamato in an adoring smile as if he always knows she is beautiful. 

“ In a polo field, Madame.” Ace said. 

“ You are a lucky, Ace boy, All I found in the polo field are man with too high of an ego and too little hair.” Ivankov laughed at his own comment. 

“ Oh, I know I am lucky.” Ace smiled, and Yamato's heart jumped.

After wiggling away from Ivankov and her dance machines, they have resumed back to their route to find the secret exit, with both of them slightly high and slightly giggly, their walk dancey and floaty. And as they navigate through the long dark corridor decorated in weird oil paints, the pair of brown eyes suddenly widened and quickly pulled her behind another velvet curtain, and both of them were sitting on the floor with their body close, so close that Yamato can hear Ace's heartbeat. 

“What?” Yamato laughed. The lollipop made her feel like she is on helium and burst out of laughter without reasons. 

“ I just saw your gimp guard with a nun.” Ace blinked,and Yamato laughed again.

“ You are bullshitting,” Yamato said. The last thing she could imagine is King hanging out with a nun in a rave. “ You are high, Ace Port.” 

“ No, I swear, they were holding hands like this.” Ace said as his left-hand sink into hers, their fingers interlocked. 

“It is a terrible excuse to try to hold a girl’s — “

“ You seems to know your way here.” A dark voice appeared behind the curtains and disrupted their banter. 

“ I told you I come here for merchant purpose, don’t be a jealous baby, King.” Another voice replied, and Yamato was snapped out of her drunken high. 

_King, a jealous baby? KING THE WILDFIRE?_

“ I am not jealous.” The dark voice replied, his tone not exactly convincing. 

“ Oh, he is obviously jealous.” Ace whispered as he looked at Yamato, both trying to hold their giggle. 

“ So you didn’t deny the baby part,” The crisp voice tittered, and King made a complaint mumble. 

_I have never seen King like that. That is King the fucking killing machine?_

Yamato blinked in disbelieve as the footstep stopped presumably in front of them, and she can feel their goosebumps raised. Both nervous, they held on to each other hand tighter, and they both tilted their head up to look at the movement of the curtain— pale, slender fingers trying to open a small gap in the curtain, then emerged from behind is a head in a latex habitat, the pair of dark eyes widened as soon as she saw what's inside.The foxy girl, whom Yamato now realise as Deer Shang, looked at both of them in disbelieve, her eyes beaming as if she is calculating what to do. Then, seems to have made a decision, the fox proceeded to give them a wink — an oddly not-suave, slow and painful wink — before she descended back, the head disappeared from the curtain. 

“ Definitely not here.” She declared. “Let's go to other places. ”

“ Where on earth is that little shit …” King mumbled as their footstep walked away from their curtain, and both Ace and Yamato both let out of a relieved sigh.

“ Do you know that nun?” Ace asked as he turned his face to her direction. “ I’m pretty sure I saw her providing white lines in Moriar’s secret after-party before.” 

“ She is my family doctor, sort of,” Yamato replied. She was actually not quite sure what is the nature of Deer Shang, but she supposes family doctor is the closest thing to describe her. 

“ So your family doctor is a drug cooker, and your personal guard is a giant gimp?” Ace laughed as he stood up, his hand petted off the dust at the back of his pants. “ What are you, a yakuza's daughter?” 

_Oh, he is good._

“ Partially.” Yamato winked as she stood up and opened the curtain, and that is when she finally realised she was taller than Ace for ahead. “ Now, shall we find our way?” 

“ You are fascinating, you know that right?” Ace laughed, and they quickly went on their way to find the secret tunnel that can guarantee their escape without King following. And they found it — it was hidden behind a bookshelf door — and they walked up and down through wet and dark stairs, with their head poking out from the ground floor of a Kebab shop after 30 minutes, and they laughed again as the Kebab shop owner looked at them in shock. 

“ Shall we end the night here?” Ace asked as he stretched his body. “ Or do you want to come to my place and watch a movie?”   
  
And, of course, Yamato chose the later. 

* * *

Ace’s apartment, located in the Bayswater area, is inside a cosy townhouse that belongs to a doctor known as Marco. Tucked at the second floor, it has a large bay window decorated with fairy lights, and his room is reasonably clean filled with a mirror, a desk filled with films, camera, and books, and a double bed tucked with navy linen. The wall is decorated with photos he took throughout his teenage years — a picture of young him holding a small toddler’s hand, his expression clearly irritated; another picture of him sitting next to a blonde boy by the pool, the blonde boy’s smile polite with Ace sticking his tongue out; another one of him in a bar with palm trees waving nearby, his skin tan and his smile bright. 

“ Is there anything you like to watch?” Ace asked as he sat on the edge of his bed, his hand scrolling through the trackpad on his laptop (covered with bumper stickers in different languages). “ Or is there anything you don’t watch?” 

“ I don’t mind — I don’t watch TV that often.” Despite having a private cinema at their home, Yamato never watched much TV growing up. The only thing she was allowed to watch is an old anime about Samurai, and she was only allowed to watch it because Kaido likes it as well. 

“Oh, Blackadder is on Denflix -- let's watch it.” 

“ What’s Blackadder?” Yamato wondered. 

“ Dude — dude. I know you are posh, but come on, no one is too posh for Blackadder.” Ace grinned as he snuggled on his bed, his hand gesturing Yamato to join. “ Come watch it.” 

Watching TV next to Ace on _his_ bed. That sounds hardly appropriate. 

“ It’s starting! ” Ace declared excitedly, his screen lighted up with his eyes. 

Not wanting to ruin the date, Yamato sat next to him with a pillow as a division line, her back sitting straight like she is in one of her Kanoian tea etiquette training (an odd tradition that was also somehow trained by King). But as the show progresses her posture gradually loosened, and with the lights down and their body dangerously close, Yamato started to feel relaxed. 

And then as they grow more tired, he leaned closer to her shoulder, with Ace’s hand wrapped around her waist, his face occasionally snuggle against her arm like a pet. She yearns for the physical closeness, of course, but at the same time, she was not quite sure how to deal with it. 

_Are we going to kiss?_ Yamato wondered. _Fuck,my mouth tastes like cheese and tomato sauce and drugs._

“ Hey, Yamato?” Just as Yamato descended into a nervous mess of thought, Ace looked up from her shoulder, and pushed his lips against hers. Not sure what to do, Yamato’s eyes widened, and she cannot help but look at Ace kissing expression (eyes closed, lash long and thick, lips soft). 

_What the fuck is happening.  
  
_Detected Yamato’s shock, Ace removed his lips and looked at her, two dashes of pink emerged to his cheekbone, detectable with the aid of the blue light from their laptop. 

“ Oh, I am sorry. I just, I misread the situation.” Ace said, clearly feeling slightly embarrassed by his action.

“ No, no, it is just. I am, I am just.” Yamato felt her tongue-tied, her brain not sure how to explain. “ I have never kissed anyone before.” 

“ Wait, what?” The brown eyes widened in awe. 

“ I have never dated anyone before.” She confessed as she felt a burning sensation in her neck,“ It’s just, all these are very foreign to me.” 

_Oh fuck, he must find me weird._

“ .. you have never…dated?” He arched his left eyebrow. “ So you have never kissed or…do anything with anyone?” 

“ No.” Yamato shook her head. Girls at her age tend to have much more experience than her, and now Ace must think she is some sort of a weirdo or a creep who have no sex or even kissing experience. 

_It is a terrible idea to date. I know it. It’s okay, this will be the first and last date of my fucking life._

“ Oh, oh my god I am so sorry. Your first kiss should have been better than this.” Ace laughed as he lied back at the spot next to her, his hand covering his eyes. Ace’s embarrassment somehow made Yamato felt better — not necessarily less awkward, but she felt slightly more at ease. 

“ I am sorry, it's just, I thought girls like you must have dated a lot of guys.” Ace said as he let out of an embarrassed sigh. 

“ What do you mean girls like me?” Yamato raised her eyebrows. 

“ You know, girls that are beautiful and funny.” Ace said as his hand still covering his eyes, his freckled face now turned bright red. 

“ You are just saying it,” Yamato mumbled as she slides into the bed, feeling equally embarrassed. 

“ No, you must have known it, right?” Ace sat up a little as he looked into Yamato’s eyes, his tone clearly in disbelief. “ I mean, Sabo was hitting on you hard that night in the match.” 

“ No, he was just curious about his family horse breed.” Yamato blinked slowly. 

“ Oh my god, you are absolutely clueless, aren’t you?” He grinned wider, “ now I feel terrible for what I was planning to do.” 

“ What..what were you planning to do?” Yamato asked. 

“ Yamato, next time when a guy asks you to go to his flat and chill, trust me, there is _no chill_.” Ace looked at her, his smile wide as always. 

“ Oh…oh! ” Yamato felt her face grow redder after she realised what Ace actually meant. 

“ It’s just, I thought you must be some popular girl who dates a lot.” Ace said as he plays with his sleeves. “ I am sorry if I make you uncomfortable — “ 

“ No no, I like you. I don’t mind kissing you. It’s just I don’t expect you to kiss me on a first date.“ Yamato replied straightforwardly. “ I mean, I never expect you to date me. Agh, what am I saying…” 

Seems not to believe what he has just heard, the pair of dark eyes widened in shock. 

“ Why would I _not_ want to date you.” Ace said, “ I thought _you_ wouldn’t want to date me.” 

“ Why would you think that? You are Ace de portgas.” Yamato exclaimed. 

“ Yah just some commoner monkey that is too lowly to date the silver hair huntress.” Ace replied. “ I mean you rejected so many guys, I was so nervous when I text you.” 

“ You are just shitting me.” Yamato laughed, suddenly felt much less embarrassed. 

“ I am not, Yamato, you are amazing.” Ace muttered as he held her face in his palm, his thumb brushed against her cheek and Yamato stopped mumbling. Then he leaned his face in again, their mouth slightly opened to taste each other, and Yamato loved how soft his lips felt and how he tastes minty even after the chaos of tonight.   
  
They parted their kiss with a smile, and they started chatting away with Ace lean against her chest, her arms wrapped around his like he is her favourite pushy. She buried her nose onto his mess of a hair, and even his hair smells like an exotic mix of sea salt and lime. 

_Fuck, he is perfect._

“ Why do you like photography?” She asked. 

“ I like travelling around the world, and photography allows me to do that.” He replied as he buried deep into her chest, his cheekbone blushed slightly as he muffed out his words, both of them too occupied to be aware of Rowan Atkinson's brilliant performance. “ The world is filled with interesting people and things, don’t you want to see them all?” 

“I don’t think I can. ” Yamato replied. Her world is gilded but confined under the iron grip of the episodically brilliant Kaido, and Yamato suspects she would not survive outside on her own. 

“ Of course you can.” Ace said as he looked up to meet with her eyes. “ the most wonderful thing about being an adult is you can do whatever you want and no one can stop you.” 

“ I grow up in a very different environment, Ace,” Yamato remarked.   
  
“ But you want to be free, no?” Ace slipped his hand onto hers, and Yamato can feel her body shivered a little. “ We can go riding on Mystique one day. It is amazing to ride near the beach.” 

“ Yeah, one day,” Yamato replied, even though she knows there will be no such day. She begged her way to be enrolled into RAU, and she knows that she was to be trained as Kaido successor as soon as she finished her university. 

Goodbye polo gear, hello black kimono and chignoned hair. 

Perhaps that is why she was drawn to Ace at first place: his whole existence resembles a kind of free-spirited adventurer that Yamato yearns to be. 

_Ah, he is so free that he will drift away soon. After university where our life will inevitably depart_ . Yamato thought to herself. _But he is so good, he is so good for me_. 

Seems to have detected her melancholiness, Ace pushed his body up with his elbow and moved on top of Yamato, his face leaned dangerously close as his fingers pushed a smile on her face. 

“ The world needs to know who you are, Yamato.” Ace said. “ You are dazzling.” 

“ You are just saying it.” Yamato tried to utter a complete smile with Ace’s hand controlling his mouth movement. 

“ I have seen enough people know what type of people got it thing.” Ace grinned and kissed her nose tip. “And you got _it_. That’s why I like you.”   
  
_Fuck, he likes me. Oh my god, did he just said that or am I just high?_

As if the fact that Ace was on top of her in his bed would not be evident enough. 

“ Ace, I like —- ”

“ Ace.” A high pitched voice suddenly appeared, and both of them freezes for the moment. 

“ Ace.” The voice said again as Ace lied back next to Yamato, they both trying to see the source of the voice. 

“ ACE!” under the duvet popped up a small boy's head, his face round and chubby, his eyes large and dark like some sort of polished gem. Ace blinked slowly as he burst into a chain of laughter, and Yamato, who was confused as ever, only looked at Luffy as he stares back. 

“ What on earth are you doing here, Luff?” Ace said as he whipped away the tears at the corner of his eyes, “ why aren’t you at your home?” 

“ I told Dadan I am out,” Luffy said as he shoved his butt between Yamato and Ace, forcing a cosy spot for himself. “ I left her a note.” 

The note that Luffy left his nanny is a drawing with an indecipherable sketch of him walking to Ace house, and at the moment Dadan was actually screaming to Garp, Luffy’s grandfather, through a telephone, whilst Garp just laughed and said that he feels sorry for whoever that kidnaps Luffy.  
  
“ I am sorry, Yamato. This is my half brother, Luffy, I was fostered at his home since six.” Ace explained as Luffy wrapped his arms against his chest, the small boy clearly protesting the existence of Yamato. " Luffy, say hi to Yamato." 

“ You promised today is Blackadder night with ME.” He pouted slightly as he looked up at Yamato, his eyes squinted slightly. “ But you are watching it with HER.” 

“ I am going to hang out with you tomorrow anyway.” Ace laughed he wrapped his arm around Luffy, and his hand gestured Yamato to come closer. “ Do you know that Yamato here is actually a knight — she just escaped from a devil man tonight. ”

“ Girls can’t be a knight, and Yamato is clearly a girl,” Luffy mumbled. 

“ No, Yamato is a knight, and girls can be knights! She can ride better than anyone in Lothiam, let me show you her pictures.” Ace said as he grabbed his laptop, and Luffy looked up to meet with Yamato’s eyes, finally addressing her existence. 

“ Are you really a knight?” Luffy asked. 

“ Yes. I even know how to jest.” Yamato lied. 

“ See, she looks princely in these photos.” Ace said as he showed Luffy a photo album marked as ‘goddess’ in his computer, with pictures of Yamato dressed in her crisps white dress shirt, white pants and black boots, her bottom skilfully sitting on top of a black stallion as her hand holding a polo stick, the horse helmet on her hand covering her forehead as her silver eyes looked away, the photo was so professionally done that Yamato cannot even recognise herself. 

“ Wow, you are cool.” Luffy looked up to look at Yamato, the pair of dark eyes filled with sheer admiration this time, and Yamato ruffled Luffy’s hair like a puppy in response. 

“ Why do you have a whole album of me on your computer?’ Yamato raised her eyebrow suspiciously. 

“ It is not for a creepy purpose, trust me. I just need to copy that for the Oxton newsletter — ” Ace explained desperately. 

“ Oh, this is not knight,” Luffy said as his small hand scrolled to a photo of another girl in a tight white swimsuit. “ Knights don’t wear that little.” 

“ Oh shit — ” Ace quickly closed the computer before he knocked on Luffy’s head, and Yamato shoots Ace a slightly disgusted glance. 

“ You are disgusting, Ace de Portages.” Yamato teased. 

“ No, I swear, Yamato — ”

“ Yah you are disgusting, Ace.” Luffy followed. 

“ What— how dare you, Luffy D Monkey, betraying Captain Ace like this” Ace’s eyes widened as he turned his arm to tackle Luffy, and the little boy soon tries to wiggle his way out and beg for mercy. 

“ I accept your apologies,” Ace declared as he sat up, “ Now let’s tickle the silver-haired knight, shall we?” 

“ Yes, captain Ace.” Luffy said as the small hand started tickling Yamato’s face, and Ace’s larger, more callous hand tickled her waist, making her laugh as she tries to stop them. And as she laughs harder they continue to tickle faster, only with their tickle fest turn into chaos wit them giggling and laughing, ending with Luffy lying in the middle and the two of them holding onto each other’s hand, the bed is warm, sweaty, and incredibly messy. 

“ This is nice.” Yamato smiled as she blinked her eyes. 

“ Yah, it is. ” Ace smiled back. 

And they just gazed into each other with Luffy in between, his eyes wondering what is going on between his brother and the mysterious knight, all three of them not knowing what the future hold for them as they hold onto each other for the night. 

It was nice, as nice as it sounds, and certainly nice whilst it last. 


End file.
